This Week: A Preview

Not enough time to write a proper post, but I did get out for a 30-mile ride today. First time on the English this year. I forgot what it’s like to ride something tailored especially for me. It really is a perfect bike for my needs. I put the squealing creaky Lynskey in the basement (after removing all key components and greasing where necessary). It still has a creak despite all the work I did and a visit to the bike shop. I’ll deal with it in the fall. This was the first ride I’ve done this year that did not involve some degree of suffering due to weather.

The weather was perfect, the bike was perfect, and the ride was perfect. Looking forward to many more days of this now that the weather is improving and I’m back on the English.

So…I have plans for this week. My friend Guy is coming out on Thursday, and I’m going to take him on a ride over Peekamoose, Greenville Road, and other exciting climbs. Pictures to follow (no HDR…I’ve given up, I can take constructive criticism!)

I have plans for two posts. The first came about because Mike K asked me for advice on routes; I put together three killer routes for him that included Mountain Rest Road, Peekamoose, and South Gully Road. It sounds like he didn’t follow any of the three precisely, but hit most of the key roads anyway. Since I developed the routes I might as well publish them. Second, I’m going to write a spring route review to help guide people to the appropriate posts with good routes. Yes, you can do it by clicking on the Worth the Trip tag, but there’s also a lot of other stuff in there, and I want to write consolidated guidance.

Finally, this blog has no commercial or really any personal objectives; instead, it is intended to get people out here and riding on what are arguably some of the best and most scenic roads on the east coast (and only 1.5 hours from NYC by train, no less!) So do me a favor: If you use any of these routes, or even if you’ve used this blog as guidance for designing your own, send me a few good pictures, a few lines about your ride, and–if you designed your own route–the course. I’ll put it up on the blog. It’s nice to know that you’re doing something useful, and you’ll be helping everyone else out who follows you.